


Driving Lessons

by evildevilgirl02



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Guilt, super slow updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-11 05:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1169156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evildevilgirl02/pseuds/evildevilgirl02
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>May gives Skye a lesson on driving the Bus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Lesson

“May?”

May’s position and expression did not change, but Skye knew she heard her.  Skye’s hands were clenching and unclenching when she sat down.  Skye looked down at her hands as she continued to speak.

“I think you’re really great and I-I love you.”  Skye looked up from her hands to see May unchanged.  “Well, um, I guess I’ll leave you to your piloting.”

Skye had been about to open the door when she heard May speak.  “Would you like to learn how to drive the Bus?” May asked.  “Of course, it takes years to learn, but maybe just enough to put the Bus on autopilot if/when I’m unable to pilot.”

Skye had turned around at these words.  “S-sure,” Skye said.

Skye returned to her seat next to May and waited.  For a long while, May said nothing.  Skye felt impatient, but she knew that was just her way.  Finally, May broke the silence.

“Good, you have patience,” she said.  “But maybe not common sense.  Buckle your seatbelt.”

Skye blushed as she did so.

“Now, look at the way I am holding the yoke.  My hands are firm and steady.  They do not tremble or twitch.  Take note also of their positioning on the yoke as well as relative to each other.”

Coulson’s voice sounded out over the intercom.  “May, I need to come to my office as soon as possible.”

May pushed and held down a button to reply.  “I’ll be right over, sir.”  She took her finger off the button.  After setting the plane on autopilot, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got up.  She spoke as she worked.  “I hope you realize that these lessons are to be kept a secret for now.”

“Of course,” Skye replied, understanding completely.

Before leaving the room, May leaned down and gave Skye a swift kiss on her cheek.  Skye’s cheek grew hot.  She sat there for what seemed like a long while after May left, before leaving the cockpit as well.

_Secret?  Fine by me._


	2. Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! I felt the first scene was necessary, and it just came out short (hence my adding the second part. I will try to make the next chapter longer. ;)

“I thought I’d give you a little debriefing on the mission so you could do some research before I told the rest of the team,” Phil Coulson said.

“How much time do I have?”

“Two hours.  I need you to read up on Ian Quinn and his operations, and acquaint yourself with the work of Dr. Franklin Hall if you were unfamiliar with it before.  We’re flying here.”  Coulson handed May a paper with an address on it.

May nodded in understanding.  “Sir, I’d like to teach Skye how to fly the Bus.”  At Coulson’s questioning look, she continued.  “It would help to integrate her into SHIELD and allow for an alternate pilot should anything happen to me.  It would also grant her skills that would be useful in other scenarios, such as clearheadedness and structure.”

“Structure?”

“Flying, unlike hacking, is not creative problem solving.  You fly the plane the right way or you crash.  Skye would be introduced to the strict format that SHIELD generally follows.”

Coulson nodded in understanding.  May was stopped in her tracks as she was about to leave.  “Anything else?”

In that moment, May knew that Coulson knew.  “Don’t tell Skye that you know,” May said before leaving.

  
  


Skye left a few minutes after May, attempting to “stagger” their exits.  She headed straight back to her dorm, fortunately not running into anyone on the way, and waited for the blush to leave her cheeks.  Skye had never considered the possibility that May _reciprocated_ her feelings.  Should she be worried about the age difference between her and May?  How old was May?

 _There’s so much I don’t know,_ Skye thought.

Skye looked at her watch.   _Oh, crap, I’m late._  Skye put May in the back of her mind as she headed downstairs for her afternoon training session with Ward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't tell, the first two chapters are immediately pre-ep3.


	3. The Second Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to androidilenya from FF.net for beta-ing!

Skye was exhausted by the time she finished her training with Ward.  When she got back to her dorm, she found a note by her bed.   _1:00 tomorrow_ , it read.  Skye quickly hid it (in case someone else came to visit), and got into bed.  She fell asleep thinking about how May’s lips felt on her cheek.

–––––

Skye arrived a few minutes early to find the cockpit empty.  She sat down and waited.  There was, in her mind, a huge difference between late for training with Ward and being late for... _whatever it_ was with May.

May came in and sat down, buckling her seatbelt.  She did not look at Skye.  “Your seat belt’s unbuckled.”

Skye buckled her seat belt and opened her mouth to speak, but May cut her off.

“I am going to teach you how to pilot the Bus.  Coulson knows.”

Skye was a bit surprised by the second revelation, but decided to focus on the first.  “I thought learning to fly took years.”

“The same goes for becoming a field agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I don’t see you backing down from that goal.”

“Touche, but what about our-”

“Relationship?  What about it?”  May turned to face Skye.

“What is it?  What about the age gap?  Are we telling the others?  How does Coulson know?”

“Any other questions?”  

Skye had several more, but since she found herself unable to articulate them, she kept quiet.

“Our relationship is one of mentor and student who occasionally kiss.  If the age gap bothers you, tell me, but I had expected that you’d thought this through before you came to me a few days ago.”  As she spoke, she put on her helmet and checked the flight conditions.  “We are not telling the others.  Coulson found out when I went to tell you that you would be getting piloting lessons from me.”  She turned back to Skye with a neutral expression on her face, waiting for her pupil’s reaction.

Skye was silent as she took it all in.   _Mentor and student who sometimes kiss?  What kind of_ bullshit _is that?_  But that was not what she said next.  “How often is ‘occasionally’?” she asked submissively.  She hadn’t meant to ask that, but something about May made Skye quiver and her resolve melt.

May raised an eyebrow.  “I guess it depends on how well you learn your lessons.”  Her mouth curled into a smile.

Skye gulped nervously.  “Well, then, I guess I should get started.”  She smiled weakly back.

May turned back to the controls.  “Let’s begin.”


	4. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to androidilenya of FF.net for betaing!  
> Several other huge thank yous to everyone who hasn't given up on this fic! I'm soooooo sorry. I'll try to post the next chapter sooner than next month! :)

May waited outside the bedroom with Skye’s shirt.

“A suite?  You?  That’s funny but they’re never gonna let me go on anything if I don’t find my stupid-” Skye opened the door to Agent May, who was holding her “-top.”

“Get.  Dressed.”

Skye looked shocked and upset.   _Isn’t that big of her,_ May thought.   _ **She’s** upset._

Ward seemed distraught.  He must have taken Skye’s playful flirting seriously.

\-------------------

May’s hard expression did not change until that night when she went to shower.  Steeling herself, she punched the wall with her left fist.  A few miniscule pebbles fell to the floor.  She punched the wall with her right fist.  A few pebbles of more worrisome size joined the ones on the floor.  Unable to do any more damage to the shower without risking the integrity of the infrastructure, May settled for scrubbing herself extra hard that night.  In spite of that, she still hurt more inside.

She went to sleep feeling bitter.   _This_ was why she didn’t let people in.  
\-------------------

Skye decided to go to the cockpit the next day because _not_ going would be worse.  She didn’t know what she was going to say, but she knew she had to say something.

May was already there, piloting the plane.  Skye sat down quietly beside her and tried to figure out what to say.  Her fingers drummed silently on her thighs.

“May, I-I’m sorry, for what happened.  I know that’s not enough to make up for it, but I just thought I should say that first.  With Miles,” Skye looked down at her knees, “I-I don’t know what came over me.  I really want to find my parents and-and the Rising Tide offered information and Miles…” Skye’s voice picked up speed. “I completely understand if you want to break it off, if you don’t want to see me any more than you have to.  Just say the word, and I’m gone.  W-We’ll be no more than coworkers.”

Skye’s heart ached to say that, but she knew she had to.  Excuses were pointless.  She would do whatever May asked of her to make up for this.  She’d take down Centipede and the Rising Tide herself, if that’s what it would take to get May to forgive her.

May mulled over what Skye said.  Her chest hurt to hear Skye say those words.   _We’ll be no more than coworkers._  May didn’t know if she could go back to that.  Well, of course she _could_ , but she really didn’t want to.

_Steady, May.  Say what you have to say._

“How do I know that I can trust you after what you did?”

She had meant to sound neutral, but it came out bitter and untrusting.  She hadn’t meant to let her mask down, but Skye...did something to her.

Skye’s heart leaped.   _She’s giving me another chance_.  Skye held out her wrist, which May could see out of the corner of her eye.  On it was a thin band of metal that had not been there before.

“I-Coulson gave me this bracelet.  Said it’ll monitor my tech stuff so I can’t do that again.  I don’t know that you can trust me.  I don’t know if _I_ can trust me.”  Skye curled up into a ball, fiddling with the bracelet.

May stared intently at the sky in front of her.

“If Coulson trusts you, I trust you.  Professionally.  I trust you not to screw up another mission or betray us again.  However, I do not trust you _not_ to betray me personally again.  I am also terminating your piloting lessons, as you do not seem to be benefiting from them.”

May didn’t explicitly tell her to leave, but Skye could tell from her tight lips and the way her eyes that focused unswervingly on the sky in front of her that the conversation was over.

May’s expression didn’t change after Skye left.  She’d spent years cultivating concentration and external passivity, so she focused on the sky and tried not to think about Skye.

\-------------------

Skye headed straight to her bunk and locked the door behind her.  She knew the walls were thin enough that the others could hear her crying, but she didn’t care.  She let the sobs come out her throat and the tears roll down her cheeks, almost missing the shy knock at her door.

Skye knew it was Jemma before she opened in the door.  Upon seeing Skye’s tearstained face, Jemma immediately pulled her into a hug.  Skye hugged her back, still crying.

“Do you want to go back to your room?” Jemma asked softly.

Skye nodded into Jemma’s shoulder.  Still hugging, they hobbled slowly into the room, Jemma removing one arm to close the door behind her before rubbing Skye’s back with the arm that closed the door.  Skye started sobbing again.

Gently extricating herself from the hug, Jemma appraised Skye’s face once more.  The tears were still flowing, and her face were starting to become blotchy.  Jemma pulled Skye to sit on the bed with her.

“Skye, what happened?”

Skye sniffed.  “M-May hasn’t forgiven me f-for what I did.”

“Just give her some time.  I’m sure she’ll come around eventually.”   _Not everyone forgives as easily as I do,_ she refrained from saying.

Simmons had forgiven Skye the day before, after Skye had come to her with a long explanation, an apology, and a metal bracelet on her wrist that hadn’t been there before.

“How d-do you make up to someone for hurting them?”  Skye was on the verge of sobbing again.  “I-I r-really hurt May, and I don’t know if-” Skye sniffed. “-if things will ever be the same again.  I don’t know what to _do._ ”

At a loss, Simmons kept rubbing Skye’s back.  “Have you never hurt someone before?”

Skye sniffed and shook her head.  “Not like _this._ ”

Simmons frowned.  It seemed like there was something Skye wasn’t telling her, but she didn’t want to push the issue.

“What about making something for her?  Aside from hacking, is there anything else you can do?”

“I can paint,” said Skye.  “M-maybe I could paint a portrait of her.  It-it won’t hurt to try.”

Simmons smiled and continued to rub Skye’s back.  Skye’s tears seemed to be subsiding.  In a few minutes, she was going to shove this girl in the shower and go back to her business.  There was something going on.


	5. The Third Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thanks to FF's androidileyna and AO3's roboticor for beta-ing! This is set post-"FZZT".

May came into her room to find an enormous painting of her face leaning against her bed.  It was a portrait of her face in  _extraordinary detail_.  The background was one of dark red.  Somehow, the artist had managed to capture May’s calm and firmness in this painting, as well as her intimidating nature.  Were May’s eyes really  _that_  dark?  In the corner was the artist’s name- _Skye_.

\-----------------------------------------------

A note on her bed.   _As soon as possible._   Same handwriting as before.

Skye grabbed the note, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash before heading to the cockpit.

\-----------------------------------------------

The silence was broken by Skye opening the door to the cockpit and stepping inside.  “Did you hear?  Simmons found a cure.”  Skye closed the door behind her.

“Coulson told me.  Plus, we’re still here and not blown up.”  A brief glance to her left told May that Skye had sat down.

Skye smiled.  “I didn’t know you were funny.”

“Stop changing the subject.”

 _Oh, shit, she’s using her interrogation voice,_  Skye thought.

“I––thank you for the painting, Skye.”  May’s voice softened.  Her eyes went down to her lap, one hand automatically switching the plane to autopilot.  “No one’s ever…”

“Used you as their muse before?”  Skye grinned.

Her eyes went down to her bracelet, her hands toying with it.

“I-I thought I might’ve messed up your eyes because I haven’t seen them much-”

“They were perfect.”

“-Jemma came up with the idea-”

“Skye.”  May’s voice suddenly sounded closer than before.

Skye looked up just in time to see May leaning in for a kiss.  She closed her eyes.  May was passionate, almost rough against Skye’s lips,  _her_  lips tasting of flavorless lip balm that Skye couldn’t get enough of.  Skye could feel her heart rate increase dramatically.  She wanted to tangle her fingers in May’s hair, but she held back.

Skye moved away first, breathing heavily, opening her eyes to stare down at her lap, hands clutching her thighs.  She looked up at May, who was  _not_  out of breath and had a small smile on her lips.

“You’re...not…” Skye gasped.

May’s smile widened.  “Do you really think I’d get flustered so easily?”

Skye grinned between breaths.  “Well, then, how can I get you... _flustered_?”

“Whoa, whoa.” May leaned away from Skye and looked briefly at the controls.  “I haven’t forgiven you  _that_  much.”

Skye raised her eyebrows as she calmed her breathing.

“However can I get you to forgive me?” Skye asked, adopting a high-pitched, innocent tone.

May grinned at Skye.  “Well, for starters,” She said, leaning forward conspiratorially, “How much better do you think you could paint me if I posed for you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are greatly appreciated! Especially concrit, as this was the first kiss I've ever written.


	6. Painting and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry about the late update. A lack of inspiration and AP exams....sorry.  
> This chapter is unbeta'd.

“How long can you go without moving?”

“The last time I had to, I lasted almost five hours.”  May neglected to mention that that was several years ago.

Skye cracked a nervous smile. “We’ll do two hours sessions, alright?  I don’t think I can go much longer than that.”  She looked at her palette.  “What colours do you want for the background?”

“I don’t know, Skye.   _You’re_ the artist.”  May smiled.

“And _you’re_ the one commissioning my services.  Commissioners get the last word.”  Skye got up.  “You think about it while I go get some water for my paintbrush.”

Skye closed the door behind her and headed to the kitchen.  Jemma was there.

“Simmons, hey,” Skye said easily as she headed to the cupboard.

“Skye.”  Her tone was apprehensive.

“What’s wrong?” Skye asked, leaning over the sink and turning the tap on, a glass cup full of water in the other hand.

“Nothing, I just...nothing.”

Skye turned the tap off.  “Your idea worked, by the way.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.  May loved the portrait.”

“Can I see it?”

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask her.”

“Well, do you know where she is?”

“No, sorry,” Skye said as she left the kitchen.

Jemma thought there was definitely something odd about Skye’s behavior, not to mention that May seemed more absent today than usual.  Now was usually when she did her Tai Chi, but today that part of the Bus was unoccupied.  Jemma was a few seconds before trailing Skye back to her room.

Skye opened the door to her room and closed it behind her, cup in hand.  “Have you picked a color?” She asked someone inside.

“I’m thinking of a dark purple,” said May.

 _May._  Skye had lied.  Did that mean…?  No, they couldn’t be.  But what if…?

Jemma walked away as quickly and quietly as she could to consolidate her knowledge.

Inside her room, Skye sharpened a pencil and begin etching the outline of May’s head.  “I think Simmons is getting suspicious.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Well, I dunno.  You said you wanted to keep it a secret, and what if she tells someone?”

“You know she won’t.  She might confront you about it, but she won’t tell anyone else.”  May didn’t move anything but her mouth, for which Skye was grateful.

“Does it bother you?  That Simmons might know?”

“No.”

They were both silent for a few minutes as Skye continued to draw the outline.  She picked up a paint brush and dipped it in her cup of water.

“You know, you can talk today.  I don’t think I’ll get to your lips today.”

“What do you want me to say?”

Skye shrugged as she filled in May’s forehead.  “I dunno, whatever you want.  Your childhood, past lovers, favorite movies...whatever.”

May _really_ wanted to kiss her right now.  Something about Skye in that moment, her arm raised to reach the higher part of the canvas, her face as she concentrated on the painting.  Her shoulders slumped slightly and her legs were uncrossed.  May wondered if Skye had ever been as at ease with her as in that moment.  May licked her surprisingly dry lips.

“I think I’d rather stay silent.”  She hoped this painting took forever to finish.  There was something about Skye in that position that made May want to watch her work for a long time.

They were silent for several more minutes.

“You can unfreeze, May.  I’m not doing any more painting today.”

“You know, you can call me Melinda,” she said, planting a kiss on Skye’s kiss before leaving the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are coming soon, so updates there probably won't be any updates for a while. I'm sorry.


	7. French Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short and I apologize for that. On the other hand, two chapters in three days!

“Some secrets were meant to be kept secret.”

May nodded in understanding as she looked at the file about Skye’s past.  Just another thing not to tell her.  As if that would be difficult.

  


Someone knocked on Skye’s door.  She closed her laptop before going to open the door.  May slipped inside as discreetly as possible and Skye closed the door behind her.

“Ready to continue your work?”

Skye raised her eyebrows.  “Somebody’s excited to be a statue again.”

May smiled as she sat down.  “I like to watch you work,” she admitted.

“Oh?”  Skye asked, setting up the canvas and her other painting materials.

May sucked in her lips and look down at her hands in her lap.

“ _Oh._ ”  Skye put down the paintbrush and palette she had been holding.  “Maybe painting’s not the best-”

“Yes, it is.  Paint me, Skye.”

Skye tried and failed to stifle a giggle as she resumed setting up.

“What’s so funny?”

“Um, how much do you know about memes?”

May’s look of confusion made Skye giggle more.  She was _adorable_ , her Ice Age girlfriend.

“Well, they’re an internet thing, like repeated jokes...basically, there’s this one meme that goes ‘Paint me like one of your French girls,” and you reminded me of that.”

Skye smiled widely as she picked up her paintbrush once more.  May didn’t understand what was so funny, but she liked seeing Skye smile.

“I think I should be able to finish this tomorrow, at the rate we’re going.”  Skye was already at work on the canvas.  “That sound good?”

“It sounds wonderful, Skye.”  May was already frozen in place on the chair, a small smile resting on her lips, eagerly awaiting the next day.


	8. Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The dark nasty ache in the pit of your stomach, the rage in your chest that makes you feel as if your heart’s about to explode? It’s worse on humans, but give it a few decades, it’ll wear off too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because if the show won't deal with the aftereffects of the Berserker Staff on Melinda's mental/emotional state, then I WILL.  
> No more updates for at least another month, sorry! I'm going on a month-long vacation, won't have a computer again (as far as I know) until August 13th/14th.  
> As always, reviews are always appreciated, and check the Mayskye tag on tumblr for a ghost AU that I wrote!

Someone was outside Phil’s office.

“Come in.”

It was Melinda.  He wasn’t surprised.

“Do you know the effects of the Staff, by any chance?”

Phil nodded.

“He said the superstrength goes away pretty quick, but the rage?”  Phil sighed.  “That stays for decades.  I’m sorry, Melinda.”

She nodded.

“Do you want any-”

“No.  I’ll deal with it.  On my own.”

  
  


Skye’s door slid open.  Skye looked up from her painting to see May walk in and sit down in the subject’s chair.

“May-”

“Melinda.”

“Melinda,” Skye corrected herself.  “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said through gritted teeth.  “I’d rather not talk about it.  Just...paint.”

Skye nodded and got to work.  After what felt like a lifetime later, Skye put down her paintbrush.

“Done!”

Melinda got up and looked at the portrait.

“It’s lovely,” she said emotionlessly.  “I’m sorry, I-I have to go.”

She left abruptly and headed straight for the gym.  She pulled back and almost hit the punching bag before she remembered something.

_The last thing you need is to punch things._

She lowered her fist and started doing Tai Chi.  It was hard, but by the end, she felt all the better.

 _This feeling will fade with time,_ she reminded herself.

  
  


Skye sat there and stared at the open door.  That wasn’t like May.  That was like...Ward, after he’d held the staff.

_Was May…_

Her thoughts were cut off by the appearance of Jemma in her doorway.

“Ooh, what’s that?” She asked, walking over to get a closer look at the painting.  Her eyes widened.

“Simmons-”

“I knew it, I _knew_ it!  You’re in love with her!”  She clapped excitedly.  “Have you told her?”

Skye looked at Jemma.  “We’re dating.”

“...oh?”

“You have to promise not to tell anyone.  We’re keeping it secret for now.”

Jemma nodded.  “That’s fine, I can do that.”  She mimicked zipping her lips.

Right as she was stepping out the door, she turned around.  “By the way, do you know May’s in the gym right now?  But you might not want to bother her, she’s doing Tai Chi.”

Skye nodded.  “Okay, thanks.”

Skye barely noticed Jemma leaved as she mused over what the Staff could’ve done to her girlfriend.


	9. Second Chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this update took ages. Sorry. :/  
> Thanks to plinys for proofreading.

“That was you, right?”

May didn’t answer.

“You put whipped cream on Fitz’s face.”

Skye caught the corner of the pilot’s mouth curling upwards into a smile.  “Maybe.  You have no proof.”

“I don’t need any.  I know it was you.”  Skye leaned back, a satisfied smirk on her face.  The sky was a dark blue that was fading into black.  “Besides, Fitzsimmons shouldn’t get _all_ the fun.”

May chuckled.  “No, they shouldn’t.”

“May, can I ask you a question?”

“You can if you call me Melinda.”

“Right, sorry, Melinda.”  Skye leaned forward and looked at _Melinda_ , who was still staring ahead at the night sky, hands on the yoke.  “What…happened…in Bahrain?”

Skye could see Melinda’s hands tighten briefly on the yoke, before she reached over and switched the plane to autopilot.

“There was…a situation.  People were in trouble.  I took care of it.”  Melinda averted Skye’s gaze, staring down at her hands with…disgust? Hatred?  Skye didn’t understand.

“Coulson says you didn’t lose anyone-”

“Except myself.  He says that sometimes.”  May sighed.  “He thinks I can just…go back to being who I was _before_.  He doesn’t understand.”

“Doesn’t understand _what_?  Melinda, what happened back there?”

Melinda gritted her teeth.  “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?  You saved the day, so what’s with the moping?”

Melinda laughed, but there was no humor in it.  “Skye, don’t you understand?  These hands- these hands have killed.  They can kill again.  I know it.”

Skye blinked, confused.  “Those hands have saved lives-”

“ _I’m a murderer, Skye_!”  In her rage, Melinda had risen and grabbed the arms of Skye’s chair.  “You are _in love_ with a _killer_!”

“Melinda, you’re scaring me-”

“You should be scared!  I could kill you faster than you could say my name!”  Spit was flying from her mouth.  Skye had never seen her so angry.  It reminded her a lot of Ward after he’d touched the Berserker Staff.  Suddenly, Melinda blinked, and her eyes seemed a little clearer.  Without another word, she left Skye alone in the cockpit, confused and upset.

  
  


_One.  Two._  The bully from elementary school.   _Three.  Four._  A report.  Official doctor words informing her that her uncle wasn’t coming back.   _Five.  Six._  One of the men she’d killed was engaged, scheduled to have his wedding less than a month after she’d killed him.

She gave the punching bag a roundhouse kick and screamed.  The bag flew off its chain and hit the wall, missing Ward by a wide margin.

He raised his hands anyway, smiling hesitantly.  “You alright?”

May wiped her sweaty mouth on her sleeve.  “I guess I’m just a little Berserk.”

He smiled at that, approaching her slowly.  “I understand.  Do you want help setting the bag back up, or would you rather fight me?”

“Bag.”  They walked over and hoisted another bag over to replace the one May had accidently dismantled.  “I’d also appreciate it if you could keep Skye off my back awhile.”

“Is she poking her nose where she shouldn’t?”  Ward hooked the bag up and they both relaxed a little.

“That’s her job.  To see what we don’t.”  May sighed, holding the bag with both hands.  “She asked about Bahrain.”

Ward nodded understandingly.  “We haven’t had our training session yet today, anyway.”

“Thanks.”

She resumed her punching as soon as Ward left the room.

  
  


Skye’s musings in her bunk were interrupted by a knock on the door.  She unlocked and opened it to see Ward standing there, one hand on his hip.

“It’s time.”

“Yes, sir, right away.”  Skye closed her laptop (which had only been open as a pretense in case anyone knocked) and headed out with Ward.

“Have you seen May?”

Ward seemed to stiffen up a bit when she asked.  “I might have.”

“How was she?”

“She said she wanted to be alone.”

“Ahh.”  Skye nodded.  “So what am I learning today?”

“I thought we’d practice loading guns.  No shooting until we can do it somewhere outside of the plane.”

Skye pretended to pay attention when Ward explained and demonstrated how to load and reload a gun, while her mind drifted elsewhere.

  
  


“Melinda, before you kick me out of the cockpit, please, just let me talk.”  Skye took the other woman’s silence as permission to keep going.  “I understand if you don’t want to talk about Bahrain anymore and I’ll leave it alone.  I’m sorry I invaded your privacy like that.  It won’t happen again.”

Skye could hear Melinda push a few buttons, but she couldn’t tell which ones based on where she was standing, still a respectful distance away from the pilot’s chair.

“I owe you an apology,” Melinda said, “only I can’t figure out quite how to say it.”

“Where I’m from, ‘I’m sorry’ works pretty well.”  She took Melinda’s tone as a cue to sit down.  Melinda had put the plane on autopilot.  Now she stared at her hands, clenching and unclenching them.

“The Berserker Staff…it makes it difficult for me to control myself.  I almost hurt you yesterday.  I’m sorry.”  Melinda continued to stare at her hands, as if they might suddenly turn purple.

“Hey.”  Skye gently lifted Melinda’s face to meet her own.  “We all mess up.  Case in point.”  She jangled her bracelet lightly.

“Skye, I tried to kill you.  That’s not the same thing as trying to find information about your parents.”

“You’re right, but that’s not…”  Skye sighed and fingered her bracelet.  “I’m not saying that saving lives cancels out the bad stuff, it’s just that...you’ve done a lot of good.  You’ve saved a lot of people, Melinda.  In Bahrain and after.  You’re my hero.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Melinda pondered Skye’s words.  She still didn’t get it.

“I could hurt you.”

“And I’ve already hurt you.  Melinda,” Skye reached over and put a hand on her shoulder as she spoke, “I want this.  Any pain is worth it.  No pain, no gain, right?”

Melinda smiled.  Of course she managed to fall in love with the most stubborn girl within range.  She didn’t have the words for how grateful she was.  Of course, words weren’t the only form of communication available…

With that in mind, Melinda swiveled her chair around and gently pressed her lips against Skye’s, one hand on her cheek.  Though she wanted to kiss Skye for much longer, there was something she had to say first.

“Thanks for giving me a second chance.”  She imagined the kiss got that across better than her words did.

Skye smiled back.  “Well, you never actually hurt me, so technically, you’re still on your first chance.”

“ _Skye_!”


End file.
